Eagles, Philly fans get catharsis through Super Bowl parade

Associated Press |
2/9/2018, 6:55 a.m.

Fans cheer as they watch a replay of Super Bowl 52 in front of the the Philadelphia Museum of Art before a Super Bowl victory parade for the Philadelphia Eagles football team, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Terry Gallen, a fan from Glen Mills, in the Philadelphia suburbs, said he "broke down like a baby and cried" when the Eagles won the Super Bowl.

"It means everything," Gallen said. "We're loving it."

At the rally, Lurie, Pederson and a slew of players all took the microphone and dedicated Sunday's victory to the fans.

But it was the crowd-pleasing Kelce who best channeled the gruff but ultimately good-hearted "attytood" for which Philadelphians are famous.

Wearing an outlandishly sequined Mummers getup — a nod to Philadelphia's raucous New Year's Day parade — Kelce declared that "no one wanted us. No analyst liked to see us win the Super Bowl. And nobody likes our fans."

He then led the crowd in a jolly — and filthy — chant set to the tune of "My Darling Clementine": "No one likes us, no one likes us, no one likes us, we don't care!" The big-bearded lineman uttered at least two profanities that made it onto live TV, recalling Chase Utley's similarly profane speech at the Phillies' World Series parade 10 years ago.

Police investigated at least two stabbings on parade day, including one man stabbed inside a mall just off the route. No details about his condition were released. A second man was taken to a hospital with a stab wound, and police said they were trying to piece together what happened. City officials said they wouldn't have arrest numbers until Friday.

The parade was overwhelmingly peaceful, though, giving fans an emotional release after decades of disappointment.

For lots of fans, the parade was a reminder of the Phillies' victory lap after a 28-year World Series title drought.

For others, it took on spiritual shades of the pope's visit in 2015.

"It is like a religion," said Kevin Fry, 37, of Prospect Park in suburban Philadelphia, a press operator at the Inquirer and Daily News who helped print 700,000 copies of the Super Bowl edition that proclaimed "At Last!"

And for Natasha Curley, 31, a janitor from Trenton, New Jersey, the Super Bowl title means that rival fans can stop their yapping — at least till next season.